Language
Moon Goddess
Jameson Yap
This space features Dialogue with Tang Poets, an installation by Malaysian artist Jameson Yap.
Yap reinterprets traditional Chinese calligraphy through a contemporary lens, creating a distinctive body of work where text and painting, abstraction and emotion, coalesce in fluid harmony.
After years of meditative practice, Yap developed his own calligraphic style known as River Stroke. True to its name, this script flows like water—each brushstroke imbued with a sense of movement, vitality, and breath.
In his hands, writing becomes more than inscription—it becomes a painterly space suffused with feeling. Layered strokes, spreading ink, and the rhythm of voids invite viewers into a poetic experience, shifting the act of reading into one of sensing.
The works in this Biennale—titled Drunken Song, Chang’e, Goddess of the Moon, and others—offer contemporary interpretations of Tang Dynasty poetry. These are not literal transcriptions but emotional dialogues that transcend time, rendered through dynamic brushwork and tonal nuance.
Yap channels the energy of rivers—especially the flowing life force of the Amazon—into the density and rhythm of ink, bridging ancient Chinese poetic sensibilities with global, contemporary experience.
For the artist, “neighbor” is not merely a geographic term, but a possibility of resonance—across civilizations, histories, and temporalities.
While rooted in the traditions of Chinese calligraphy, Yap’s work reflects the multicultural identity of Malaysia and a present-day sensitivity. He proposes a shared artistic space where East Asian and Southeast Asian cultures reverberate together.
In his work, words become images,
and each stroke becomes a verse.
By gently traversing the boundaries between tradition and contemporaneity, between script and sensation,
Jameson Yap opens a portal—
to seeing, feeling, and remembering with an expanded heart.
Yap reinterprets traditional Chinese calligraphy through a contemporary lens, creating a distinctive body of work where text and painting, abstraction and emotion, coalesce in fluid harmony.
After years of meditative practice, Yap developed his own calligraphic style known as River Stroke. True to its name, this script flows like water—each brushstroke imbued with a sense of movement, vitality, and breath.
In his hands, writing becomes more than inscription—it becomes a painterly space suffused with feeling. Layered strokes, spreading ink, and the rhythm of voids invite viewers into a poetic experience, shifting the act of reading into one of sensing.
The works in this Biennale—titled Drunken Song, Chang’e, Goddess of the Moon, and others—offer contemporary interpretations of Tang Dynasty poetry. These are not literal transcriptions but emotional dialogues that transcend time, rendered through dynamic brushwork and tonal nuance.
Yap channels the energy of rivers—especially the flowing life force of the Amazon—into the density and rhythm of ink, bridging ancient Chinese poetic sensibilities with global, contemporary experience.
For the artist, “neighbor” is not merely a geographic term, but a possibility of resonance—across civilizations, histories, and temporalities.
While rooted in the traditions of Chinese calligraphy, Yap’s work reflects the multicultural identity of Malaysia and a present-day sensitivity. He proposes a shared artistic space where East Asian and Southeast Asian cultures reverberate together.
In his work, words become images,
and each stroke becomes a verse.
By gently traversing the boundaries between tradition and contemporaneity, between script and sensation,
Jameson Yap opens a portal—
to seeing, feeling, and remembering with an expanded heart.